ca4765 wrote:Hi, I am surgically menopausal and have recently started using a the drug Topomax to help control my migraines...and I can't tell you how great it works!!! I have maybe 1 or 2 a month instead of almost daily... It also has helped alleviate some of my menopause symptoms...like the hot flashes and mood swings, it also promotes weight loss. I have started feeling like my old self again, thanks to this medicine. It's a seizure drug that was approved about a year ago for migraine treatment.

You may want to check into it. Thanks,ca4765[/quoteThanks for this info. I am going to check this out more. I have suffered migrains since my 30's but now in my mid 40's they have gotten out of control. Complete with extreme nausea. I even had one so bad I blacked out. Imutrex (sp) couldnt take cause I couldnt keep it down. I am positive it is related to my hormones. I read an article on Topomax and wondered how it really helped. I also suffer with hot flashes and mood swings. The only thing I can do at this point is take a prescribed med and take an ambien so I can sleep through it. Some of them last nearly a week at a time. It is crippleing. Thanks for sharing how this worked for you. I have alot of sympathy for anyone who suffers from these, AND the wonderful perimenopause

I've had migraines since I was a teen, but hormonal shifts increase the frequency of mine, too. Perimenopause has made this a real challenge.

Just a note on something that helps me (I'm not taking an Rx for it currently): When the auras first start (or if no auras, the pain just begins), I take 2 Alleves (Naproxen sodium), 2 Tylenols and drink 1/2 to 1 cup of coffee. It's best to take these with a little food. This is essentially the same pain killing stuff in Excedrin Migraine and does wonders for me if I take it early enough. Sometimes it can even abort the migraine. The two painkillers are alright to take together, and the caffeine makes them work better, as well as helping shrink those dilated vessels in the brain a bit.

I also put a heating pad or hot water bottle on my feet and an ice pack on my head. My feet get really cold with a migraine, and I think this combination helps my circulation and relieves the inflammation in the head, helping the pain. Then, if possible I lie down in a dark room and try to sleep. Usually, that offsets the severity of the headache and I get over it within a few hours.

I'm glad to know there are great Rx meds for this, though. That's a comfort!